PCOS is the most common endocrine disorder affecting females during their reproductive age; and it is estimated to Affect btw 8-13% of females in Australia. In my clinic in Caringbah, I have been seeing more women presenting with ‘lean PCOS’ and thought I’d share some quick tips.
Eighty percent of women with PCOS have the classic phenotype (over-weight, insulin resistant, hairline may be receding but then experiencing hair in places where she’s doesn’t want it, like the chin & top lip area), but less discussed is the ‘lean’ PCOS phenotype, which is actually on the rise (i.e the woman with PCOS who is a healthy weight, has a relatively nutritious diet but still has PCOS).
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- Though lean women with PCOS don’t struggle with weight gain, they may still experience other comparable symptoms to overweight women with PCOS. Similar prevalence of acanthosis nigricans (darkening of skin creases), menstrual dysfunction, hirsutism and endometrial hyperplasia (thickness of endometrium greater than 4 mm) was demonstrated in both lean and overweight women with the syndrome who presented with infertility.
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- Both groups are often insulin resistant (prevalence of 83.3% and 93.1% in lean and overweight groups, respectively in one previous report).
Here are 3 tips for women with ‘lean’ PCOS:
Myo-inositol
Myo-inositol (4g/d) improves insulin sensitivity, decreases hyperandrogenism and helps to regulate the menstrual cycle in women with lean PCOS. It may be used by teens and showed good changes with regards to metabolic profile both in users on the oral contraceptive pill, and for those not on the oral contraceptive pill.
Quercetin
If you’re trying to improve fertility for pregnancy, Quercetin 500mg/d improves oocyte and embryo grade and the pregnancy rate in PCOS patients and has been shown to reduce inflammation & abnormally elevated luteinising hormone.
Apple cider vinegar
Consumption of vinegar has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, in part via the acetic acid which slows gastric emptying. A small trial involving 7 women with PCOS who consumed 15g of ACV for 3-4 months observed an improvement in insulin sensitivity, better ratio of FSH/LH and 4 out of 7 started ovulating post 40 days
